Wikileaks, though technically not a wiki, provides an easy means to disseminate information that some find it desirable to share against the wishes of those who find it desirable to keep secret. Aside from the morality of the leaking itself, such a service provides a look into the activities of...

Within the past few years, an alarming trend of games being released on time for release day , but lacking functioning internet-play components – has steadily become more prominent.
In November 2013, Grand Theft Auto V (“5” for you ADHD kids in Public Schools who are being turned into IDIOTS by “Common Core” and “N.C.L.B”) was released with an online component that wasn’t scheduled to be available for weeks later. When activation day came, and everyone hit the connect button, it was still malfunctioning and took yet another month before the networking bugs were ironed out. (Oddly, GR gave it a very high score. “REAL REVIEWERS” like myself didn’t)

I see this problem as multi-faceted, but I also believe a major downside of the internet components is forcing everyone to wait until the exact same time to download the game digitally (clogging servers) and also forcing them all to log-in at the same time. It’s a business model that truly needs to change.

That said: I’ve experienced only a single disconnect in at least 20 matches. Others have claimed they were experiencing far more, but the problem seems to have been solved as of now (48 hours after launch).

The online component of Titanfall is its only component. A “Campaign” which puts you on a team with 5 others – up against a team of 6. Both teams of flesh & blood humans are supported by AI-controlled drones which can be deadly if you aren’t careful and allow them to gang up on you, but generally are far weaker opponents than the human-controlled players. The AI-players can’t move as quickly or as calculated as you can, but they do allow you to have something to shoot at – kill easily – thus reducing the time till your next “TITANFALL”.

Titanfall would be “just another 1st Person Shooter” - like Killzone on Playstation 4 – if it didn’t look different. Rather than just being better graphics and more sound fx, Titanfall is a mishmash of ideas that comes together amazingly well – creating an exciting battlefield for the seasoned FPS veteran – and even newcomers to the FPS genre.

The training sequence teaches yout he simplistic control method of moving, shooting and controlling your Titan from both inside and out. A Titan can be positioned to guard control points, follow you or provide cover fire. Most of the time, however, you’ll be inside of it taking aim at the enemy. You can melee soldiers on foot to death, or shoot everything in sight. You aren’t invincible: the enemy can climb on your back and sabotage your titan or get a titan of their own to blow you to bits.

Combat feels like Call of Duty on steroids. It’s fast paced, the visuals are varied and the action is colorful violence, but unlike BATTLEFIELD4, the maps are small and circular with very large spacing specifically designed to make fighting on foot feel similar to fighting in a titan.

PERSONALLY, I feel that Microsoft’s decision to package Titanfall with new XBOX1 consoles was brilliant. This game is a good technology demonstrator, an EXCELLENT 1st party title (that sadly wasn’t ready for launch) and just enough game to make you feel that your $499 was well spent.

The VISUALS in the game are outstanding. In one level, I found myself stopping to stare at the sky – watching a huge railgun – with lots of details and animations – lobbing slugs at an attacking spaceship. Above the action was a static image of a planet that reminded me of visuals I’d only previously seen in HALO games. Though Playstation fanboys and other assorted virgins will scoff at the technical details of the game – claiming it doesn’t run in full 1080p – on my Vizio 50” LED LCD TV, you’d be hard pressed to realize that it wasn’t. Ultimately the technical details give way to brilliant gameplay and ultrasharp animation.

Is TITANFALL worth the money?

OH YES IT IS.

The only shame is that it wasn’t released on both the Xbox One and Playstation 4 so it could sell more units and prevent troll attacks – such as those that allegedly took place on Amazon – when several dozen disgruntled Playstation 4 owners decided that they’d take out their frustration of not being able to play Titanfall (and not having any exclusive franchises worth a damn) by writing angry and damning “reviews” – which were later deleted when Amazon realized they were bullshit. Meanwhile, PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY BOUGHT THE GAME were able to rank it on Xbox Live: “5 out of 5” stars – thus proving the trolling had gone too far.

As an XBOX1 owner who also owns an extremely powerful PC (HP Envy, Corei7, 32GB Ram, 4GB GTX7…) and sporadically uses my girlfriend’s Playstation 4 as a paperweight while awaiting exclusives that aren’t boring…I’d have to say that Titanfall is a great game that should earn at the very least a “4 out of 5” star rating from any fair & balanced reviewer…while keeping any gamer looking for a “pick up & play” game a useful diversion.

BE SURE to check out my video reviews at BIGTRUCKSERIESREVIEW on YOUTUBE.